Prayer Request - UPDATED with a PRAISE!!!

UPDATE 4/26: Friday night my phone rang and it said, "GIGGE" and I thought it might have been Becky calling from his phone so when I answered it I heard a voice that I've been praying to hear for a long time!!! Last week they switched out his trach with a smaller one so that he could speak. His first words were, "Hey baby (what he always calls me because I'm the youngest of 5), how are you doing?" I screamed, "GIGGE!!" Then the tears started coming! It was SOOO good to hear him on the phone after not knowing whether or not he was even going to live 9 weeks before that. He said that he thanks God every day for saving his life and I was praising HIM right along with him!!! God is so good!


UPDATE 4/5: He was moved to the long term rehab hospital today!!! Praise the Lord!!!

UPDATE 3/29: Gigge has had a few rough days this week. He was greatly improving and was ready to be moved to a long term rehab facility last week, but then his right lung collapsed. They got it stable, but then right after he developed a lung infection. He had a really bad coughing spell Saturday night and his oxygen levels dropped and they even called Becky in. But since then he has been steady and has had been sedated again. Today Becky texted me and said that they were going to lift the sedation and change up some of his meds. Please continue to pray. It seems like he is making two steps forward and then one step back. But God is in control and His will is to be done. He will get the glory when Gigge is completely healed and even in these baby steps he keeps making now!


UPDATE 3/10: Garland is more awake today. He asked "what happened" last night. Becky also told him about Cori's game and he laughed and smiled-his eyes were closed. He also squeezed her hand. But, he is still not tolerating his feeding and she is going to ask the doctor today about that. They are going to transfer him to a rehab hospital at the end of this week or beginning of next. Praises and glory to God!

UPDATE 3/5: The Doctor siad that they are going to start "sedation holidays." This means that they turn the sedation off until he starts to wake then they'll put him back under and each time the will adjust/lower the amount of sedation.

UPDATE 3/4: They switched Garland to the regular vent on Thursday and it went well. His oxygen is now down to 50% oxygen being provided by the machine and is holding strong. Good progress!

Here are a couple of pics from Texas:

Kati, David, & Cori

Kati & Cori

UPDATE (2/28): Got home early this morning. Praise God for traveling grace this week! Gigge is still improving. They changed his ventilator after they put the trecheotomy in and he is continuing to improve slowly. This morning they have his oxygen level down to 70% and the x-rays yesterday showed that his lungs were clearing up.

Thank you all for your prayers this week! God is good and deserves all the glory!

UPDATE: My dad and the girls and I are now in Texas. Gigge has been taking small baby steps. His heart, kidney, and all major organs (except for his lungs) are all doing well. His lungs are still very critical, but today they have been able to lower his oxygen intake. He has ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome) and his recovery will take a long time. But now that he is taking small baby steps the doctor says that it is now day by day instead of hour by hour like it was two days ago. Please continue to pray that he will fight and remain strong. Gigge is not a quitter!!!
Praise and glory to God!!!

Please pray for Gigge (Garland), my brother that lives in Texas. He is in the ICU with pneumonia and the flu. He went to the ER yesterday and they put him straight in and also put in a breathing tube. He is very serious and we all would greatly appreciate the prayers for him.

I talked to my sis-in-law, Becky, this morning and she said that he was about the same and the good news is that he wasn't any worse.

Creation Museum

Last year we took a little field study trip up to the Creation Museum near Cincinnati. It is truly an amazing experience and we highly recommend going if you have never been. Everything is explained in a Biblical way. We loved it so much we bought 5 year memberships and have gone back twice since this first trip!

Here are some pictures from that day:

It has many displays comparing a Biblical view to what the world tries to justify.

The 7 C's in God's Eternal Plan -

Creation, Corruption, Catastrophe, Confusion, Christ, Cross, Consummation

Creation - In the beginning - in six, 24-hour days, God made a perfect creation.

"In the beginning, God made the heavens and the earth."

Genesis 1:1

Corruption - The first man, Adam, disobeyed the Creator, bringing death and corruption into the creation.
"By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin."
Romans 5:12
Catastrophe - Adam's race became so wicked that God sent a catastrophic, global flood.
"God said, I do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh."
Genesis 6:17
Confusion - When mankind refused to spread out over the earth, God confused their language.
"The Lord did confound the languages of all the earth and.....scatter them abroad."
Genesis 11:9


Christ - The Creator became a man, Jesus Christ, who obeyed God in everything, unlike Adam.
"When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman."
Galatians 4:4

Cross - Jesus Christ died on a cross to pay the penalty for mankind's disobedience.
"Christ has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust."
I Peter 3:18


Consummation - One day the Creator will remake creation, cast out the disobedience, and dwell with believers.
"Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.....And I saw a new heaven and a new earth." Revelation 20:14-21:1



Anna looking at a display of dolphins.

Tree of Life

Noah's Ark - This display room had the outside of the ark and was at a scale of 1%. This picture only shows a part of that.
This was Anna's favorite. While we were in this room Brian explained to Anna that Noah's ark was a representation of Jesus and how He is our salvation. The pitch that Noah used to seal the ark is like Jesus' blood that covers us when we accept Him.

These models were so realistic. This was Holly's favorite exhibit. Last week we had talked about when it floods people try and find the highest point to be saved. This displayed a very realistic picture of what it probably looked like when the waters started rising. And to think all they had to do was listen to Noah and believe what he had told them about this great flood that God was sending as judgment.
We had a nice lunch out on the covered porch overlooking the lake.

They also have a great petting zoo along with some gorgeous gardens with a stream and mini waterfalls!

Anna petting a long haired rabbit.

This is Gomer that Holly was petting.

Here is a side profile of Gomer. Nice teeth!

What did you say? Ha!





Holly got a big kick out of this.............

She was wanting some more corn!

Some turtles sunbathing!

We couldn't have asked for a more blessed day.

I praise God that this museum is open.

From the front door to the back door it gives our Creator glory and praise for what He has done.

He loves us and He wants to have a relationship with us.

It is why we are here!

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If you live within driving distance to Cincinnati I would highly recommend this museum. It is very interesting and educational and very much worth the time visiting!

January 29, 1994

For Kelly's Show Us Your Life this week it is on our how we met our sweeties!

January 29, 1994 was our first date! We met when Brian was a Senior and I was a Junior and we had the same Ag class during our spring semester. How romantic right?! Actually it was pretty sweet because it was an easy class and we were able to talk almost the entire hour each day.

My dance team coach had Brian in her homeroom and one day told me during practice, "I know a great guy for you!" I just laughed her off. Then my best friend and her boyfriend went on a double date with us and we haven't looked back!!! Our first date was at a really neat restaurant in Lexington called Darryl's (it has since been torn down) and I remember that he had catfish and I had the lasagna. Then after dinner we went bowling!

We still have the same best friends and repeated the exact same date a year later! :)

What is really neat is the fact that while we were growing up we lived within 1.5 miles from each other and went to the same schools our entire lives and never really knew the other one.

He proposed Christmas 1994 and we were married on August 10, 1996 and I love him more now than I ever have! He is a wonderful godly husband and father and I praise God that He answered my prayers from when I was a little girl!

Here we are in our Ag class shortly after we started dating.

After our wedding.

Thanks for stopping by and I pray you have a blessed weekend!!!

7 Years Without Her

Today is the seventh anniversary of my Mama's passing. It is hard to believe that it has already been so long. Sometimes it seems longer and then other times it feels like it's just been a year. I miss her like crazy and sometimes wish I could just pick up the phone and talk to her. The other day I caught myself wondering about what she would think about things going on in our lives. What she'd be fussing at me over...haha!

What would she say about us homeschooling and about how big the girls are getting. Would she want our fresh chicken eggs. Would she think we were crazy!

It's hard to think about her sometimes and I catch myself trying to forget certain things. But I love remembering all of the good stuff and that last hug that she gave me. I'll never forget the morning that she passed and one day I'll try and write it down. But even after 7 years I don't think I am ready for that just yet.

I miss her every day and truly wish that she could have seen our girls grow up. Anna was 3 1/2 and Holly was 14 months old when she passed on and I tell them all about her and show pictures of her very often. They love her and Ninnie sure loved them!

She loved to tell the story about when we went to pick her up one morning for a doctor's appointment in Lexington. Anna was in the back in her car seat and Mom got in on the passenger's side in front. We were about a half mile down the road and Mom was turning around to talk to her. Anna was around 2 at the time and she said, "Ninnie!" very sternly and pointed to the back seat. Of course Mom made me pull over immediately so she could ride in that back seat beside her Nunu!

Here are some of my favorite pictures of her.

Me and Mama in 1981 ~ I was 4 years old.

Our family (without Gigge) at Clingman's Dome at the Smokey's in Tennessee in the mid 1980's.

Not sure when the one on the left was taken, but the one on the right was taken August 1990 at King's Island.

At my graduation in 1995.

Brian and Mama at his graduation in 1994 (I love this picture!)

Our wedding in 1996.

This was taken in front of Danforth Chapel after our wedding right before we were leaving. This is the dress that she was buried in.

This is one of my favorite pictures of us.

Anna's 3rd Birthday ~ September 2002

Holly's 1st Birthday ~ February 2003

1 Peter 5:10

"But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you."